Patterning the insect eye: From stochastic to deterministic mechanisms

Abstract

This study presents a minimal stochastic model that unifies the explanation of both random photoreceptor patterning in the Drosophila retina and highly ordered, striped arrangements observed in Dolichopodidae (“Doli”) eyes. The model suggests that slight parameter shifts in a conserved developmental signaling network can switch patterning mechanisms between stochastic and deterministic modes, and even capture intermediate, semi‑random patterns observed in other species.